Sunday, May 14, 2017

CHUCK TODD:This Sunday, the firing of James Comey. Why did President Trump do it, and why now?

Was it based on a justice department recommendation? The administration said this.

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE:

Because of the actions that the deputy attorney general outlined.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS:

The president accepted the recommendation of his deputy attorney general.

CHUCK TODD:But then President Trump said this.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

Regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey.

CHUCK TODD:

Did it have to do with the Russia investigation? The administration said this.

KELLYANNE CONWAY:You want this to be about Russia when this is about quote, "restoring confidence."

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS:This absolutely has nothing to do with any investigation into Russia.

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE:

That's not what this is about.

CHUCK TODD:But then President Trump said this.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

This Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story.

CHUCK TODD:

So what's the real story? Joining me this morning are Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham, and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Plus we have brand new numbers from our NBC News Wall Street Journal poll about what a very skeptical public is now thinking.

And West Wing shakeup watch, a report this morning says a frustrated President Trump is considering firing many of his top White House aides. We'll get the latest. Joining me for insight and analysis are: NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Hallie Jackson, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, BBC World News America anchor Katty Kay and Matthew Continetti, editor of The Washington Free Beacon. Welcome to Sunday, it's Meet the Press.

ANNOUNCER:From NBC News in Washington, the longest running show in television history celebrating its 70th year, this is Meet the Press with Chuck Todd.

(END TAPE)

CHUCK TODD:

Good Sunday morning and happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. After the firing of the F.B.I. director James Comey, conflicting administration explanations and open disagreement about what Comey and President Trump said to each other at what is now an infamous dinner. What happened on Friday feels like a perfect capstone to a whiplash week. The president tweeted, "James Comey better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press." Are there tapes? Here's what the president later told Fox News:

(BEGIN TAPE)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

That I can't talk about. I won't talk about that. All I want is for Comey to be honest.

(END TAPE)

CHUCK TODD:

It's just something else for Congress to try to subpoena, all of which leads us to our brand new NBC News Wall Street Journal poll that just finished overnight: 29% of those we polled say they approve of President Trump's decision to fire James Comey. 38% say they disapprove. Roughly a third say they don't know enough to say. That tells you the story hasn't quite penetrated the national consciousness when you have a undecided that high.

As a result, just 6%, though, of people say the firing has given them a more favorable impression of Donald Trump as president, while 30% say it has given them a less favorable one. 61% said it has no impact. And finally, this is the most troubling number for the White House. 46% say they agree that President Trump fired Comey to slow down the Russia investigation, while 38% buy the original explanation from the White House that it was done over legitimate concerns about how Comey handled the Hillary Clinton e-mail issue.

And there's now a report this morning that a frustrated President Trump is considering firing many of his top White House aides. It all adds up to a week in which, at best, the administration has a communications problem or, at worst, it is facing accusations of obstruction of justice.

(BEGIN TAPE)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

Regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey.

CHUCK TODD:

Donald Trump contradicted his own White House aides and his vice president, adding to questions about why the president chose to fire F.B.I. Director James Comey when he did. SEAN SPICER:

No one from the White House. That was a DOJ decision.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS:

He took the recommendation seriously and he made a decision based on that.

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE:

President Trump made the right decision at the right time. And to accept the recommendation of the deputy attorney general.

CHUCK TODD:

But in an interview with Lester Holt on Thursday, the president said not only had he already decided to fire Comey before getting Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's recommendation, he had the Russia investigation on his mind when he did.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, "You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story. It's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won."

CHUCK TODD:

Mr. Trump also said he pressed Comey in a private dinner on January 27th to tell him if he was under investigation. The dinner was held three days after the F.B.I. interviewed now former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, and one day after acting Attorney General Sally Yates briefed the White House, warning them that Flynn could be blackmailed by Russian contacts.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

I think he asked for the dinner. And he wanted to stay on as the F.B.I. head. And I said, "I'll, you know, consider. We'll see what happens." But we had a very nice dinner. And at that time he told me, "You are not under investigation."

CHUCK TODD:

In fact, sources close to Comey say the president invited him to the White House in a last-minute request, either on the day of or day before, and asked Comey if he would be loyal. Comey refused to pledge loyalty, but promised to be honest.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

Number one--

JEANINE PIRRO:

Did you ask that question?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:

No. No. I didn't. But I don't think it would be a bad question to ask.

CHUCK TODD:

Then, on Friday, came the President's warning: "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press." The second ranking Democratic Senator Dick Durbin calls that a thinly veiled threat that could be a violation of federal law. Democrats are asking the president to hand over any recordings.

SEN. DICK DURBIN:

President Trump is dangerous. Dangerous because he may be obstructing justice in terms of the investigation.

(END TAPE)

CHUCK TODD:

Joining me now is Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Senator, welcome back to Meet the Press. Boy, I have you laughing. I assume it's dark comedy.

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